Spike fiddle (endingidi or iningidi)
Unknown Artist
1900s
Medium
Wood, snakeskin, and plant fiber
Dimensions
l. 44.2 cm · diam. 10.2 cm
Classification
Musical Instrument
Department
African Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of the African Art Sponsors of Karamu House
Accession Number
1929.347
About this artwork
The endingidi is a single-stringed chordophone musical instrument. Scholars believe it was introduced into the Kingdom of Buganda (in present-day Uganda) between 1904 and 1907. From Uganda, it was later introduced to present-day Rwanda, where it is called iningidi and played by Hutu musicians. Horsehair stretched from the end of the handle and over the reptile-skin–covered tube sound box, and attached to the handle with the wooden tuning peg. A deeply curved bow, now missing, would have allowed ...